Of Light and Dark
by Emma White
Summary: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...Jedi Knight Jon Snow is sent on a mission to defeat Sith Lord Daenerys Targaryen who has taken over the planet of Zygerria in the Outer Rim. However, the Sith has more plans for Jon then just seducing him to the dark side.


**Of Light and Dark **

When the Jedi first received word of the war on Zygerria they did not pay it much attention. Zygerria was a slavers paradise located on the Outer Rim. Many years ago the Republic tried to dismantle the slave trade and were successful, but over time the strain of keeping the Zygerrians in line proved to be too costly. Slavery remained outlawed but no one was around to reinforce it and as a result, the slave trade was flourishing again, at least until recently.

Slaves and Underclass rose up against the Masters, the upper class of Zygerria who lived lavishly while others struggled to survive. Their leader was a foreign woman said to have escaped slavery herself. First, she had bought an army of slaves called the Unsullied, elite soldiers taken from unknown regions of space and breed on Zygerria as obedient eunuch soldiers. As soon as she acquired them she had them turn on their former masters, butchering them all and freeing other slaves. Slave revolts quickly spread across the planet and their leader acquired a new name from the freed people, "Mhysa" or mother in the standard tongue.

When slaves stopped arriving at other outer rim worlds the Hutt crime bosses paid Mandalorian Mercenaries to crush the rebellion. A week later, the Mandalorians heads were sent back to their employers and their bodies adorned the Great Pyramid. Outraged the Hutts bought a heavily armed ship to wipe out the resistance from the sky. The ship never made it to the planet's atmosphere, its wreckage found in an asteroid belt, with no evidence to suggest what happened to it.

Soon the entire planet had been taken over by Mhysa and former masters had the choice, leave with none of your riches or die with them. Not many took the threat seriously and those that did reported massive crucifixion of former masters as they left the planet and all they had behind. Mhysa did not make threats, she kept promises. Still even with the cruel deaths of the masters the Republic did not act against Mhysa. Some of the senators felt that her actions were justified, while others worried about the financial cost of an interference, most, however, did not care about the outer rim world. The Jedi held no opinion on the matter as their mission had always been to protect the Republic and Zygerria was not technically apart of the Republic. This attitude kept until one day a former slaver came to the Jedi temple.

The Zygerrian was not in the best condition by any stretch of the word. He had been kept as a prisoner by his former slaves and they had treated him as he had treated them. His body was thin and sickly, many patches of his fur had been burned off and a brand could be seen on his arm. Fear clung to him like a heavy cloak but it was not his former slaves he feared. He feared the Mhysas and was one of the few to see her in person. He described her as a human but not like any he had seen before. Her skin was pale, her hair was white and her eyes burned red with supernatural fires. He called her a witch capable of manipulating others with just her words.

Some of the council mocked his description, as they explained to the Zygerrian that some humans can inherit a defect from their genes causing the physical traits he described. But the Zygerrian rebuked them, "Tell me can these humans walk through fire without burning as well? Can they lift a man with just a thought? Can they shoot lighting from their hands? Can they communicate with those demon dragons as this woman does?"

The Council members grew quiet considering what they had just been told. The silence clung to the room, suffocating it with doubt that held the council members tounges at bay. The silence continued until Master Mormont spoke the word that was on other's mind, "Sith."

The Brooding Knight

"So this is what you do when I'm not around Snow? Brooding in the gardens?"

"It's called meditation Tormand," Jon replies not opening his eyes, "As a Knight, you should know the difference.

"And as a Jedi Knight I do know the difference and you Jon Snow are brooding."

Sighing Jon opened his eyes to see his friend towering over him from his seating position. His curly red hair wrapped wildly around his head and his beard was no longer neatly cut but long in his absence from the temple. He looked wild and savage and many of the younglings looked afraid of him as they passed by with their teacher. Jon, however, was just happy to see his friend. Before Jon could get on his feet the other man was pulling him to a hug.

"How was Vandor?" Jon asked pulling away from his friend.

"Cold as balls and teeming with Mandalorians. Rather, was teeming with Mandalorians," Tormand smiles. "Put a right end to that shit."

Giggling could be heard from the lawn above them. A class of younglings was meditating there and their teacher was giving the two knights a death glare. Jon smiled and waved at the teacher, an unpleasant Utapaun he remembered from his time as an initiate. He grabbed Tormand and lead him away from the class to a more private area of the garden away from prying ears.

The Room of Thousand fountains had no shortage of private spaces and once they found one Tormand launched into his account against the Mandalorian mercenaries and how he destroyed their base. "You should have seen the look on the leaders face as his fancy hideout shot up in flames." Tormand laughed, "All this talk about Mandalorian superiority and he practically shits himself when he sees a little fire."

Tormund scrunched up his face in imitation of the Mercenary leader and Jon loses it at the site of Tormund looking both afraid and constipated. When both men had stopped laughing Jon says, "Thanks, I needed that."

"Alright, you've heard my story now what are you brooding about?" Tormand takes a seat beside Jon whose smile quickly disappears and his serious mask comes back on.

"They think they've located the Sith apprentice," Jon says, as if the weight of the galaxy was on his shoulders.

Tormund stiffens but says nothing waiting for Jon to continue. Jon sighs before launching to the tale of Myhsa, the slave rebellion on Zygerria, and the slavers description of the rebel leader. "Do you really think it's her?" Tormund asks once Jon is finished.

"The Council believes so and it's the best lead we've had since Jorah's death."

Jedi Knight Jorah Mormont had long since believed that the Sith were still alive, a belief that caused great strife with the council and even his father Jedi Master Jeor Mormont, who was Jons former master as a padawan learner. After all, no one had seen a Sith Lord in over 300 years, some masters openly mocked the belief but others prided him on being cautious to consider it.

"Two there are, always two and it's a big galaxy for two people to hide. I'm not so arrogant to as the council to believe they had been wiped out," Jorah would say. The man had been Jons and Tormunds Battlemaster back when they were Jedi padawans. He trained them hard and wanted them to be prepared for all possibilities including the Sith. While he was mocked for his belief of the Sith's return, he turned out to be correct. Unfortunately for him, he would not live through the encounter.

3 years ago

Sams excitement radiated from him as he all but bounced in his seat on the transport. Their friend, Knight Edd Tollett, had to keep reminding Sam to control his emotions but he could not help the smile that appeared on his face as he watched the overly excited service core member. Like many others, Sam had not been chosen as a padawan learner, and while some may be disappointed by that Sam was quite content in the Education Corps among the Lore Keepers. "Valyria, can you believe, Jon," he said not for the first time since they had taken off. "The lost city of myth found on Xuaquarres."

"Sam you do know I heard you the first time," Jon replied from his seat beside him.

"Sorry," he says sheepishly, "Its just Master Aemon worked so hard to find the place during his life and now that we have I can't help but be happy for him." Sam looked to the front of the Transport to the old master and smiled. Even though Aemon could not see he smiled back at Sam.

"This is not just my triumph everyone here has worked on this project. Master Mormont and Padawan Snow who found the Holocron on Yavin 4. You, Sam, who helped me decode that information from the ancient Massassi and Knight Tollett who volunteered his time to chase an old man's dream." Aemon said to the group, "You know I don't believe in coincidence, it was the will of the force that we found this lost city now. Just like its the will of the force that we are all here today."

Knight Jorah laughs from the pilot seat of the transport. "The Force may wish you all here, I just wanted to get out of Saber practice with the younglings."

"Still not over that little incident son?" Master Jeor asks.

"If by little you mean, almost cutting my head off then yes I'm still not over it."

"If you got a padawan of your own you wouldn't have to train the younglings." Master Mormont said partially joking but mostly serious.

Jorah Mormont was an exceptional Knight of the Order and one of its greatest swordsmen since his ascension into knighthood 15 years ago. Every bit the Jedi his father Jeor was; Jorah had gone on several dangerous and nearly suicidal missions for the order. And in spite of being one of the greatest teachers at the temple and well-liked by his students, he never claimed a padawan of his own.

"You always said let the force guide me and that's what I'm doing," Jorah replies. "If the force tells me to take a Padawan I will."

"Maybe the Force has been telling you to take a padawan and you just don't listen."

"Then the Force needs to speak up. Get back to your seats we drop on Xuaquarres in five."


End file.
